Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest through the mountainous and forested areas of Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; also from the Great Lakes region east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Wet meadows, forest openings, and streambanks from low elevations to the subalpine.
Flowers: June-September
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Self-pollination, flies
Herbaceous perennial with single, densely flowered inflorescences up to 3 ft. tall.
Simple, alternate, glabrous, lanceolate, tapering in width from base to tip.
Sepals and petals white, sepals widely spreading, two of the petals upright and arching, forming hood-like appearance; lip widest at base and often hanging downward, spurred at base.
Capsules, brown at maturity and containing large numbers of tiny seeds.
Flowers with a sweet, spicy fragrance; plants often growing together in fairly large numbers.
Publication: Bot. North. Middle States. 347. 1833.
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var. albiflora – white bog-orchid
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon and Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains. -
var. dilatata – white bog-orchid Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains; also from the Great Lakes region east to the Atlantic Coast.
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var. leucostachys – white bog-orchid Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Idaho, Montana, and Utah.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Platanthera dilatata in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Platanthera dilatata checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Platanthera dilatata information.
E-Flora BC: Platanthera dilatata atlas page.
CalPhotos: Platanthera dilatata photos.
USDA Plants: Platanthera dilatata information.
